Learning Curve
by Abby Lockhart
Summary: CSI:GSR Grissom & Sara learning how relationships work, the good times and the bad. Grissom wants to leave for another MONTH? WHAT!
1. Sick

Hello everyone, thanks for clicking. This is my first CSI fic, but the moment i saw GSR on screen i started reading and its took me until now to get writing, although i have written Carby (god that was so long ago) Luby (ER) Smarty (WAT) and Now GSR woop! **Hopefully there will be more chapters, depending on what you guys make of this one. So please let me know with a little review. Thanks and enjoy.** (btw i didnt beta so maybe a few mistakes oops)

--

Sara was busy taking photos and casting what looked like horseshoe prints, near to where

their victim was found in the desert. It made her think back to what sat on Grissom's desk.

"Have you heard from the T.A.A recently?" She mocked.

"T.A.A?" Grissom raised an eyebrow.

"Trigger Appreciation Association."

"Society." He corrected her.

"Sorry..Society.."

Grissom shook his head, "This doesn't look as simple as a guy falling from his horse."

"Nope." She carried on without looking up.

After a while Grissom thought now was the right time to say something. "Sara, I've..er..I've been meaning to mention something to you."

"That doesnt sound good." She eventually looked up from what she was doing, a small frown across her brow.

"I've been asked to be a guest speaker at the F.S.S conference in London."

"London?" She shook her head. "For how long?"

"Well, it starts off in London.."

"How long are you away for?"

"A month, maybe." He shrugged. "I havent actually agreed yet."

"Yet.. you wouldnt be telling me if you weren't going to though, huh?"

He didnt answer. He could tell by the way she focused intentsly on what she was doing, daring him to interupt her, knowing he wouldnt.

An awkward silence was broken by the arrival of Nick.

"Hey, what you guys got?" He stood between them, looking from side to side waiting for one of them to speak.

"Some horseshoe prints, a couple of shoe prints and some red fibres.. maybe cotton?" She held them up the the light for Nick to look at, before bagging them and getting up and walking away.

Nick raises his eyebrows at Grissom, he wasnt stupid, he knew when there was tension in the air. Grissom watched Sara walk away and was suprised to see her get in her car and leave the crime scene.

"You carry on processing out here Nicky, I've gotta date with Doc Robbins and a dead cowboy.."

---

Grissom searched through the lab for Sara but couldnt seem to find her although he was sure he had seen her car outside. He looked at his watch and realised he would be late for his 'date' with Dr. Robbins if he didnt get a move on.

Later on when he got back to the lab he headed straight for his office, to think. It wasnt until her turned on his desk lamp which illuminated the darkened room, that he saw Sara asleep on his sofa. He stared at her from his desk. She had been working this case for 16 hours now without so much as a coffee. She started to stir and suddenly sat bolt upright, before jumping up and running out of the room and down the hall. Grissom frowned and got up, poking his head out of his office door he saw her emerge from the ladies bathroom with a hand on her forehead, he expected her to head back to his office and maybe offer him an explanation - but instead she went straight to the locker room. He hated it when she shut off from him.

---

Later that day when the team had gathered enough evidence for the D.A, Grissom walked into the locker room catching Warrick and Nick just as they were leaving.

"Have you seen Sara?" He asked.

"Er no, she left earlier. I assumed she'd cleared it with you." Nick looked at Warrick, silently telling him _"See I told you there was some tension there."_

Grissom left and headed for home. From the driveway he noticed the lack of light from both floors of their town house. He crept in and was greeted by Bruno, as he reached through the dark for a light switch he stumbled over a pair of Sara's shoes. A part of him was relieved she was home, although her car on the driveway should have told him that. He crept upstairs assuming she would be asleep, he checked their room -empty, he checked the spare room just incase she was really mad with him, but it was also empty. Eventually he saw a dim light shining through a gap under the bathroom door, he didnt hear the shower running and he knew Sara didnt like baths, she always said she didnt like the thought of wallowing in her own dirt, he had laughed at that.

He knocked gently on the door, a sigh was all he got in return so he entered to find her sat on the floor, in the corner. Her head was resting on her arms which were folded on top of her bent knees. He knelt down next to her putting a hand on her cold arm.

"You're sick?" He asked worried. She wanted to come up with a snide remark but didnt have the energy to think, hence her being stuck on the bathroom floor.

"I've been sick.." He eyes were barely open, "every 5 minutes for the.. past 6 hours.." She managed breathlessly. She lifted her head to look at him, her hair was tied in a low bun at the back of her neck, Grissom brushed the shorter hairs out of her face and tucked them behind her ears. "Do you want to go to bed?" She just stared at him. She couldnt decide if it was best to stay here, saving her getting up when she felt that rising burn of vomit inside her. She closed her eyes, exhausted and rested her head back onto her arms. She was still angry with him for even considering leaving her alone again. Each time he went away, he set their relationship back a month. Didn't he get it? She wanted to move forward. They had wasted 9 years already and neither were getting any younger. But he found it hard to turn down opportunities to go to these conferneces, and maybe expand his knowledge even furhter. Like he had once quoted to her "To teach is to learn twice."

"I cant move..just stay here with me?" He nodded and sat next to her, putting his arm around her and bringing her head to his shoulder.

"You work too hard."

"I work the same as everyone else on the team." She replied weakly.

"Yes, but after everything you've been through recently." He head dropped heavier into him as he brought that up again. She really didnt have the strength to think about that right now. "Eckley still hasnt got to me. What about you?"

"Uh uh?" She moaned, he took that as a no.

"Good, I wanted to speak to you first. One of us is going to have to move to days." She sighed heavily in response. "I'll do it." She shook her head against his chest.

"You will do no such thing... the team needs you more than me." she sat up straight. "Besides, the thought of processing a desert crime scene in the dark without you there, really doesnt grab me.. at least not at the moment." He pulled her closer, she just admitted her fear to him. They were moving forward. "And what with you going to London for weeks.." It was his turn to sigh at that moment.

"I wont go.. if you dont want me to?"

"I dont want you to. But...I'm not going to stop you. Its your choice."

"Im not going."

"Oh."

"Oh?" she nodded against him in reply. After a few minutes sat in silence the numbness in Sara's legs told her she really needed to move.

"I think.. I'm ok now." She started to try and get up. Grissom jumped up before her and held his hands out for her, she took them and he pulled her up, pulling her into a hug, not only to stablise her but also to apologise. He was so warm and it wasnt until now that she realised how cold she was. She wanted nothing more than to get into bed and sleep for about 24 hours. Sara knew that would probably be possible as Grissom wouldnt let her in work tomorrow, which gave her another day to avoid Eckley. She had about 10 missed calls from him daily and she knew he wouldnt stop until he got her.

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	2. Feel the love, sir

**Just a short update, i will probably update again later tonight. Thanks for the lovely reviews, it really does inspire you to write if you know someone out there is reading lol!**

**My version of events when Sara finally sits down with Ecklie.**

The day had finally come when Sara could hide no more. Ecklie had finally tracked her down. She had no excuses lined up, she wasn't currently signed to any case so she had no choice but to agree with him when he asked her to meet him in his office in 5 minutes. Sara knew what was going to come of it, he was going to break up the team so really it didnt matter what she said. She wasnt going to deny it though, even behind his stony exterior Conrad Ecklie could "feel the love".

She knocked quietly on his slightly ajar door as he wrapped up a conversation on the phone. He motioned for her to sit down before ending the conversation on the phone.

"Sara, finally." He started, smiling. She just stared at him through squinted eyes almost suspicious of him, being almost..nice?

"You wanted to ask me a few things?" She shrugged nonchalantly, as if she didnt have a clue what the matter could be.

"Yes. That I did." Jeez did the guy really have to drag this out, she thought to herself. "How long have you and Grissom been in violation of lab rules?"

"Violation?" All of sudden the urge to wind this guy up came over her.

"You're relationship?" He felt uncomfortable and she knew it.

"I have a relationship with each member of my team." She shrugged. "So, I guess the answer to your question is..since I started here."

"Sara, neither of us want to be doing this. Just give me the answers I need so we can both get on with our day."

"Night." She corrected. According to the clock mounted on the wall behind him it was 8 p.m.

Biting his tongue, knowing she was trying to make him give up on prying into her personal life he carried on. "How long have you and Grissom been.." He was cut of by her.

"Having sex?" She asked, trying her best not to smile.

He cringed. "..romantically involved." He finished off pretending he hadnt heard her.

"2 years or so I guess." She nodded, pursing her lips. "So you're going to break up the team..and I want to be the one to move."

"I figured as much." Conrad nodded, jotting down notes onto whatever was infront of him.

"Okay...?" She guessed he wanted a reaction from her, so she pretended not to notice. "Will that be all?" She asked, rising from her seat. He nodded in her direction.

"You may leave." _Who did this guy think he was._ She walked out of his office closing the door with her good hand, behind her. She was glad to have it over with but then she realised he would soon take action to ruin their little 'night shift family'. She thought about what it would be like to work days. She would see daylight, which was rare unless she worked all night and then all day! She would have time to do normal stuff like the grocery shopping but then it hit her. If shes working all day and Grissom is working all night, when would they see each other? And by see she meant spend time together, talking, walking, just being together. She would start at 8am, maybe stealing a quick moment to say goodnight/goodmorning as he left to go home to bed. Then she would get home just as he was leaving to start his shift. No time to sit down to meals together. No time to go out together. No time for eachother. Feeling utterly pissed off she made her way to Grissom's office to see if he had her last night shift case lined up for her.

--

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	3. Fix you

**This chapter contains lyrics from the song Fix You by Coldplay.Also Bruno is Bruno to me forever!**

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse._

When the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?

Grissom watched Sara from a distance, she didnt know he was at the scene. He had just pulled up at the Victorian house that was the scene of the brutal murdering of a young family. Sara was in the yard. She looked pale and sickened. She was shining her flash light towards the bottom of the garden and he thought something must have caught her eye as she walked down the lawn. He got out of his car and was welcomed by Brass.

"Good evening."

"Jim." Grissom nodded. "What have we got?" Grissom asked, looking round and letting the scene talk to him.

"Triple murder. Husband, wife and 7 year old boy." Brass shook his head. Appalled by the seemingly random attack on an unsuspecting family.

"I'll catch up with you later Jim." Grissom walked around the back of the house to look for Sara. He saw her crouched down at the back door of the house, the window had been smashed for the intruder to gain entry and she noticed blood on a shard of glass. She swabbed the blood and packed the evidence away ready to go back to the lab. He walked up behind her.

"Hi."

She jumped, her hand going to her heart as she saw who it was. "Jeez. Dont sneak up on me like that." She sighed, turning away from him again.

"Sorry." He frowned, noticing how short she was being with him. He thought he'd ask her about it later.

"Have you got anything?" He asked trying to stick to business. She told him about the evidence she had gathered and he followed her back to her car stating his version of events based on the evidence they had so far.

"Do you think this was a random attack?" She asked turning to face him.

"Probably." He nodded. She shook her head and closed her eyes, when she opened them she looked him in the eyes for a long moment. He could see she was burning out and it scared the hell out of him. This job had always meant everything to Sara, she practically lived at the lab for the 7 years before they got together. Each case has affected her back then too but never this much, it really seemed to get to her more than ever. Maybe because she could sympathise with victims now more than ever.

_When the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

Sara got back to the lab before Grissom, she had never parked in the same space as she had the night Natalie took her. She parked closer to the entrance and made her way inside. She found Greg and presented him with the samples she had picked up from the scene.

"Hey Greg, can you put a rush on these samples, please." It was more of an order than a request and he noticed the difference instantly. Looking up at her sharply.

"Sure." Scared to say much more. She left and met Grissom in the hallway.

"I need to talk to you." She stated, narrowing her eyes.

"My office?" Rather than answering, Sara just made her way towards his office door and straight to the chair in the corner.

"You seem.." He paused, not wanting to get it wrong here, he could feel she was tense about something. "..tired?"

"Tired." She nodded, wishing that was all it was. "Do you ever feel like its useless?" He did little more than raise an eyebrow. "I mean, we spend all this time..what solving cases? Its not doing anything. I doesnt seem to be preventing people from killing eachother. I just dont understand why."

"The greatest crimes do not arise from a want of feeling for others but from an over-sensibility for ourselves and an over-indulgence to our own desires"

She let out a heavy sigh. She smirked at Grissom. Bless him, he didnt know what to do when she got down like this. All he could do was throw quotes at her. He looked at her confused as to why she was smiling at him. He shrugged silently asking her why and in response she shook her head, nevermind.

"Maybe.." He sat forward leaning over his desk, "..maybe you should take some time off." He was utterly suprised when she nodded in return.

"Yea, maybe I should." She stood up and went to stand by where he sat. He looked up and her and stood up pulling her into an embrace. She sighed heavily and sunk into him. As he held her Nick and Catherine came to his door, Grissom caught Nick's eye before he knocked and shook his head, indicating now was not a good time.

_And high up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what your worth_

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you 

Sara lay in bed wide awake. She was so exhausted but she just couldnt switch her mind off. It didnt help that the sun was really bright through the curtains and she could hear the dog padding about on the landing. She decided to get up, she sat up quietly checking she hadnt disturbed Gil. She slipped her jeans back on and a huge college sweatshirt of Gil's and made her way downstairs which delighted Bruno. She turned the tv on and flicked through the channels blankly. Bruno lay at her feet, he rested a paw on her so he knew if she moved even if he fell asleep. She looked down at him and decided to take him for a walk, maybe the fresh air would make her feel better. She grabbed his lead and he barked.

"Shhh, you're Dad's asleep!" She scolded him, his ears went flat back to his head in apology. "Come on." She left and they made their way to the park. It wasnt until they got there she realised if Gil woke up he would be wondering where she was. Although Bruno and his lead were gone too so that would give him a clue she thought. He knew he didnt have to worry about her when she had the dog with her, he was protective of his people.

Grissom was woken by his phone vibrating on the bed-side table. He looked to his side when he saw the called ID said 'Sara' and saw she was gone. In a confused and sleepy state he answered.

"Gil." Came a panicked voice down the phone.

"Sara? Whats up?" He panicked. Please God ..he began to beg.

"Its Bruno." Came a tearful voice. "This dog attacked him, we're in the park. We need to get him to the vets." Sara was knelt down next to the boxer who was lay in the grass, covered in his own blood letting out an occasional whimper.

"I'll be right there." Grissom jumped out of bed and threw on whatever clothes his eyes saw first, he slipped his feet into his shoes and went downstairs for his car keys. He drove the short journey to the park gates and could see Sara with Bruno close by. He jumped out and ran over to them and without asking any questions scooped the dog up and headed for the car. Sara followed closely behind, shaken up by what she had just seen and been powerless to stop.

"Is he gonna be ok?" She asked, knowing anything he said would give her comfort.

"He's gonna be fine." Grissom nodded and told her to sit in the back with Bruno. They sped off to the vets with Sara stroking one of Bruno's soft ears, telling him what a good boy he was. Looking at the damage, Sara could see he had been grabbed by the face by the other dog whilst her back was turned. She felt so guilty.

--

Bruno had suffered a broken jaw and torn ear. They were told he would be in the vets for at least a few days. Sara and Grissom has just arrived home.

"Im sorry." She sighed as they sat down after an exhausting morning.

"It's not your fault. These things happen." Grissom patted her leg.

"Things like this make me glad I'm not a parent. I was hysterical over Bruno, imagine if it was a child. My child."

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." _There he goes again,_ Sara sighed. Noticing her reaction Grissom spoke again. "No one wants to see a loved one hurt. Bruno..he's tough, he'll probably have forgotten all about it by tomorrow." Sara let out a little laugh, knowing he was probably right. "I, however, wont be able to forget for a while, not with a vet bill like that .."

She smiled. "He's worth every penny."

"..Yea. I suppose." He pulled her into him and kissed her head.


End file.
